Five hundred households in Elwood will soon be participating in Port Phillip Council’s first organic waste collection trial.
The Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) trial will run for eight months, with the first collection happening on 6 August 2020.
Participating households have received a new kerbside green bin and kitchen caddy, allowing residents to easily dispose of their food and garden waste. The collected material will be processed into soil conditioning products for agriculture and horticulture.
Mayor Bernadene Voss said the initiative responds to community demand for additional waste services.
“Our community is always looking for ways to play their part in helping protect the environment. Food and garden waste accounts for 46 per cent of the weight and 24 per cent of the volume of the average Port Phillip home’s waste bin so we’re excited to see the results,” Cr Voss said.”
Elwood was selected for the trial as houses there generally have both the space to store an extra 240 litre bin and gardens to produce suitable material for collection.
“A recent audit in Elwood found that 60 per cent of household waste consists of FOGO materials. When these materials break down in landfill, they produce harmful greenhouse gases. By collecting them in a separate FOGO bin, we can recycle these materials into a commercial compost to be used on farmland and nurseries throughout Victoria.”
The following items can be placed in the FOGO kitchen caddy: bones (small meat bones), meat (raw and cooked), coffee grounds, food scraps, egg shells, paper towel, wooden chopsticks and more.
The following items must not be placed in the FOGO kitchen caddy: animal waste, plastic bags, food packaging, teabags, seafood shells and other items.
Residents are encouraged to check the information provided for the full list of what can be put in the FOGO bins.
